As the Boko Haram insurgency bites harder, over 12,000 Nigerians, mostly women and children are reported to have fled to Bosso, a local government area in Diffa Province of Niger Republic, Daily Trust reports.
This, according to the report, was confirmed by Malam Issa Amadu, an official of the French rescue committee, International Rescue Committee (IRC).
Amadu said more and more Nigerians are crossing to Niger Republic on a daily basis, adding that, “we are still compiling their names but the number is outrageous when compared to last year’s migration.”
Amadu disclosed that about 4,000 of the refugees are taking shelter in Bosso town, over 5,000 are scattered in various villages around the town and an additional 2,000 are in Tudun-Dogo and environs.
He disclosed that a committee had been set up by the government of Niger Republic, which recently distributed some relief materials to the displaced persons.
The report says the refugees are facing threats from cholera, malaria, as they keep complaining of stomach ache.
The IRC is reported to have sent some health personnel to the camps but things are getting worse.
Some refugees who spoke to Daily Trust complained about the situation they found themselves, the water they drink and mosquito bites, which they said may be responsible for the health situation in their camp.
According to them, their only access to clean water is when the Niger Republic authorities pump water to the town at night. But when that is exhausted; they are forced to drink from a nearby stream, described as not clean.
Most of the refugees said they had to escape to Niger Republic because living under the insurgents stranglehold was unbearable.
A refugee said he stayed with the insurgents in Jummaina for some days before escaping because he could no longer bear it.
“I was never threatened by the insurgents because I never violated their rules or disobeyed their orders, but I was terrified when I witnessed the killing of two young men whom the insurgents claimed were civilian JTF personnel. They shot them in public and asked members of the community to bury the corpses.
”So because of that, I relocated to Niger Republic with my family,” he said.
According to him, about 200 armed insurgents stormed the village on motorbikes and told the residents to remain as they were not there to hurt anybody. He said “initially they were peaceful but after some few days, they started killing people, especially youths in the community. They also started seizing our farm produce and abducting our young daughters as well.”
Another refugee and father of 14, Malam Amadu said life under the insurgents was difficult because nobody was sure of his/her life and nobody was allowed to relocate from the captured villages, adding that “people only sneaked out of their villages because whoever is caught trying to leave a village will be killed by the insurgents.
“Markets and schools are not operating in the insurgents’ controlled villages and towns. Not a single market or school is operating in the captured areas presently. They will also never allow you to take the crops you have cultivated outside the captured villages and towns and if you escaped from a village or town, all your belongings would be taken over by the insurgents,” he said.
“Most of the captured villages and towns were deserted. Where you find 200 people in a captured village, you will discover that 150 are Boko Haram members because more than 80 per cent of the occupants have fled.”
He said: “I am an indigene of Kebbi State and presently I am only waiting to decide whether we will stay here in Bosso permanently or we will go back to our state of origin, Kebbi. Honestly I am not going back to Jummaina.”
For Malam Dauda Garba, there was confusion with the activities of the insurgents as no one knew what exactly they wanted, adding “they can announce a law in the night and change it in the morning.
“We really don’t understand their motive. Another thing that is also confusing us is that only Hausa and Fulani people are fleeing their villages while the Kanuri stay in their villages. Most of us will not go back to our villages.”
The 75-year-old father of eight was only able to escape with his wife and eight children as he was not able to take anything out of Kangarwa village in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State.
He said: “We are eating only grounded maize with groundnut oil here in Bosso. We don’t have any other food, shelter or clothes. We only rely on the assistance from other people. We normally send our children into the town to beg especially in the night whenever we do not get any assistance from others. We really need assistance from Nigerian government.” (DailyPost)
